| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $1,299; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $790–$1,320; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Application-fee and tuition waiver: $1,324. For 2026, 100% waivers were available with free/reduced-price lunch or Pell Grant documentation; Mason considered alternative hardship documentation case by case.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based aid and application-fee waiver: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available to early/standard applicants with required tax documentation; extended-deadline applicants were ineligible for aid.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 ASSIP application processing fee: $25. Nonrefundable historical fee; full waiver available for documented financial need.; Application-fee and tuition waiver: $1,324. For 2026, 100% waivers were available with free/reduced-price lunch or Pell Grant documentation; Mason considered alternative hardship documentation case by case.; Commuting and local transportation: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Students were responsible for transportation; Mason shuttles between Fairfax and Manassas were free, and low-cost general parking was usually available to non-Mason interns.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 application processing fee: $60–$90. USD 60 for students attending school in the United States and USD 90 for students attending school outside the US; non-refundable. Need-based fee waivers could be requested.; Need-based aid and application-fee waiver: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available to early/standard applicants with required tax documentation; extended-deadline applicants were ineligible for aid.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grade 9 and above; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 7–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher |
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| Additional eligibility | Minimum age 15; Requirement: Be a high-school or undergraduate student and not have graduated from university before or during the internship; Requirement: Be at least 15 by the first program day for remote and computer-lab internships; Requirement: Be at least 16 by the first program day for any wet-lab placement involving chemical, biological, mechanical, or electrical hazards; Requirement: Commit to the full eight-week, 30-hour-per-week internship, required orientation, training, mentor schedule, and final symposium; Requirement: Select one to three prospective mentors whose research, format, campus, and preferred skills fit the applicant; Exclusion: Wet-lab age 16 is a safety requirement with no exceptions; Exclusion: Students may participate for at most two summer sessions; Exclusion: Minors cannot use Mason-arranged campus housing; Exclusion: Preferred mentor skills are not universal prerequisites, and the program has no universal minimum GPA; Exclusion: Admission does not guarantee a patent, publication, award, paid position, or continued research role | Residency: International applications accepted; application fee depends on whether the student attends school inside or outside the United States; Requirement: Be in grades 7-11 when applying, subject to course grade ranges; Requirement: Meet every academic prerequisite for the preferred and alternate courses; Requirement: Submit a complete annual application; returning students are not guaranteed readmission; Requirement: Attend every live meeting and complete intensive homework/self-study; Requirement: For the narrow grade-6 exception, have prior ATDP attendance and a very strong application for an eligible course; Exclusion: Most current 6th graders are ineligible for Secondary Division; Exclusion: Course placement is not guaranteed and popular classes may fill; Exclusion: There are no excused absences; excess absence or conduct/homework violations may cause dismissal without refund; Exclusion: A-G approval, honors level or AP alignment does not itself confer UC Berkeley enrollment, college credit, AP credit, admission advantage or school acceleration credit |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 8 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4–6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person / Online / Hybrid | In person / Online |
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| Housing and supervision | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Fairfax, Manassas, Woodbridge, Virginia; mentor-specific remote and collaborating-institution placements | Berkeley, California, UC Berkeley campus for in-person courses; live Zoom for remote courses |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Competitive and mentor-matched. Review considers STEM coursework, GPA, experience, statements, mentor fit, and project needs; highly qualified applicants may be interviewed. No minimum GPA or overall acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Personal statements describing research interest, preparation, goals, and mentor fit; Possible mentor interview for highly qualified candidates | Selection: Applications are reviewed on academic preparation, materials and course fit as they become complete. Classes generally cap at 20-24 students; returning students receive early priority but are not guaranteed admission or first-choice placement. Application materials: One current academic teacher's online Referral Form; a recommendation letter is not requested; Recent academic product or original analytical essay with at least 500 words of accompanying written explanation |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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